2002 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab 4x4

Big pickup trucks make great commercials. They carry impossibly large loads, tow huge boats up near-vertical inclines, and leap over tall buildings in a single bound.


Now, back to reality: If you consider the actual use of most trucks, they haul not only bales of hay but also kids and groceries. Yes, they're great for towing a trailer, but most of the time you're driving it lightly loaded if not empty. So maybe you don't really need super-truck all the time because the Clark Kent version will do just fine for most daily activities.

The Dakota has the right amount of grunt to deliver the goods when you need to, with an available 235-hp "next generation" 4.7-liter V-8 under the hood.

The neat thing about the midsize Dodge Dakota Quad Cab 4x4 is that you get both a super-truck and a mild-mannered vehicle. It has grunt to deliver the goods when you need to, with a 235-hp "next generation" 4.7-liter V-8 under the hood. It's not the biggest engine available, however, and that's just fine with us. The 250-hp, 5.9-liter engine costs about $1,000 more and gets 2 to 3 fewer mpg. It's also a much older design, while the modern 4.7-liter V-8 has an overhead cam and runs evenly, with a redline at 6,000 rpm. Speaking of price, this vehicle as equipped has a list price in the mid-twenties, which also is a point in favor for a midsize vs. a full-size super-truck.


The test vehicle came with a 5-speed manual transmission, which made it easy to keep the engine at optimum torque for heavy loads. With the transmission in Overdrive, the V-8 hummed placidly at 70 mph and 2,500 rpm. Drop it down into Fourth gear and watch the tach climb to 3,500 rpm, and you can find the sweet spot between the peaks of this V-8's horsepower and torque. A stick shift is great for holding the extra revs you need to climb grades or for passing other vehicles. Automatic transmissions often must hunt for the right gear whenever you change throttle pressure.

The Dakota Quad Cab solves the problem for those who need to haul a cargo bed full of stuff, yet also carry up to six adults in complete comfort.

One small drawback, though, is that the stick shift doesn't provide enough clearance for a Big Gulp in the cup holder. Also, the linkage seemed a bit loose on shifting, with an annoying driveline "clank," but that may have been due to heavy use on this particular vehicle, because we also noted a slight whine on the clutch-pedal action as well.